Child poverty crisis sees 1 in 4 North East parents worry about giving children three meals a day this summer

Over half of North East parents don't think they'll be able to afford a summer holiday this year - with a quarter worried about giving their children three meals a day.

That's according to polling by charity Action for Children which suggests the cost of living crisis is far from over. The charity commissioned polling firm Savanta to survey 2,000 parents around the country - with the results making grim reading in our region.

Against a backdrop of soaring child poverty and inequality which means some children in our region will live - on average - 16 years less than their peers around the country, the research shows more than one in six North East families have never even been on a family holiday.

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Last week several North East MPs - including Kate Osborne, Ian Lavery, Emma Lewell-Buck, Mary Kelly Foy and Grahame Morris - put their names to an amendment to the King's Speech which would see the two-child benefit cap ditched. Thus far, the new Government has been resistant to this.

According to Action for Children, a third of North East parents shared fears their children could experience an “unhealthy holiday” in terms of nutrition and physical health due to a lack of money.

Ruth Baldwin, the charity's operational director for the North East, said: "Every year, our frontline workers see the financial and emotional strain the summer holidays can have on families in the North East, particularly those on low incomes.

"With more mouths to feed, clothes to wash and typically less in savings, families with children are especially vulnerable to financial hits like the added costs of the summer holidays. Essential support like free school meals may not be available, leisure activity costs rise and parents have to juggle work and childcare.

"With the new government, we have the opportunity to rethink how we support families through tough times. With proper investment in public services and in the social safety net, more children will thrive and enjoy the summer holidays, and more parents will be able to take an important break from work.

"We urge policy makers to put children at the forefront of their decision making, and boost family incomes by scrapping the two-child limit and benefit cap as well as increasing the child element of Universal Credit by £15 a week."

The Government has announced a taskforce to develop a child poverty strategy, led by Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, although many of the charities consulted by Ms Kendall earlier in the week have also called for the cap to be abolished.

Ministers have previously suggested the state of the public finances means they cannot afford to abolish the cap.

Ian Lavery wrote following the King's Speech that while there was "much to be hopeful" about in his party's programme tackling inequality was vital. He added: "I am however disappointed that scrapping the two-child cap or introducing universal free school meals was not included in the speech.

"Concentrating on economic growth without striving to massively reduce the Tory legacy of grotesque levels of poverty and inequality would be a tragic undermining of basic Labour values."

Commons Leader Lucy Powell told MPs on Thursday: “As an incoming Labour Government, we are absolutely committed to tackling child poverty and all the root causes of child poverty, which is why the Prime Minister announced the Government taskforce looking at these matters yesterday. We were clear in our manifesto that the economic circumstances do not currently allow for us to abolish the cap.

“Economic stability is the single biggest thing we can do to ensure that children don’t fall into poverty, because when the economy crashes, it’s the poorest in society who pay the heaviest price."

If you’re a parent struggling this summer, Action for Children has a free online 121 chat service, Parent Talk, where you can talk to trained parenting coaches for any advice or support – search online for ‘Parent Talk’ or visit parent-talk.org.uk